Local Religious Leaders Pray Blessings Over Healthcare Workers, Patients Battling Coronavirus Pandemic
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Catholic bishops blessed four Baltimore-area hospitals Wednesday to ask for protection for healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic and for patients diagnosed with the virus.
The bishops visited local hospitals, including St. Joseph's Medical Center, MedStar Good Samaritan, to bring words of worship and hope to those most affected by the virus.
"We know that we will rise above this, this disease, and that we will look back on it and we will realize that the lord was with us always," Denis Madden, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, said.
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Dr. Thomas Smyth, of St. Joseph's Medical Center, said there's a lot of anxiety among those treating patients, but that the words of Archbishop William Lori are able to alleviate some of it.
"For the staff to know that Archbishop Lori is thinking about the hospital, it's really overwhelming, it's comforting and we are incredibly grateful for it," Smyth said.
Dr. Smyth also said having Archbishop Lori at the hospital also helps everyone working perform at their highest levels.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
